Something is making it hard for me to lose weight. I’ve got a FitBit, and virtually every day I’ve surpassed my 10,000 step goal. I’m drinking more water and eating salads. I’ve cut down on second helpings, too. But all I have to show for my efforts is a lost of two...
Whenever we go on vacation, I usually enjoy two trips: the one we actually experience, and the one I plan beforehand. Most of the time they are quite different; but I do, truthfully, enjoy both. In planning, I scout out possible lodgings, things to do, places to see—often down to...
For those of you who might not be familiar with Shepherd’s Purse, below is a brief description of our purpose and mission at Good Shepherd. This in-reach fund started in April 2008 to provide confidential assistance for members and regular attendees of Good Shepherd in the event of...
The other day a young father I know narrowly averted a family crisis. His daughter had lost her first tooth, and dutifully putting it in an envelope, she placed it under her pillow. Then she went to sleep knowing with the certainty of childhood faith that sometime during the night the Tooth...
In his book, Letters to the Church, Francis Chan describes an exercise his puts to church leaders. “First, I have them list all the things that people expect from their church. They usually list obvious things like a really good service, strong age-specific ministries, a certain...
A month or so ago, I came across an article entitled, “Prayer Is a Waste of Time.” I don’t recall where I read it, but the title—and more so, the premise—really struck me. The author wasn’t saying that time spent in prayer was wasted because there’s no...
Back in September’s Newsletter, I solicited congregational feedback about what I termed, “one of the most important yet least significant aspects of going to church”—worship times. The response was pretty good, almost 80 interviews and emails & follow-ups to help...
For as long as I remember, I’ve loved roller coasters. In fact, I love pretty much all those kind of rides—even The Scrambler, which I rode once while on a date, feeling helpless as my body slammed into the poor girl every five seconds. One of the best moments in life is that last...
“I feel so blessed.” Those were the words of a young mother who’d ridden out a tornado in her bathtub, clinging to her tiny baby. Her house was gone, as were most of her belongings, but she felt blessed. As I sat and watched her story on the evening news, I did not feel blessed...
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” [Psalm 122:1] You can sense the psalmist’s joy. It was time to worship. Alas, there is no biblical indication of what service he was talking about. Do you think he was an 8:30 person? Or would you go...